It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 16
The most untouchable flower of high society, once stripped bare, was nothing more than an ordinary woman. The way she cried and swayed her hips was just as vulgar as he was.
He despised them, and mocked them, much as he despised himself.
It was during this disillusioned period that Vivian Luanax caught his eye.
The stain of the Luanax family, Lionel Luanax’s half-sister, existing in stark contrast to Lionel’s untouchable grandeur.
Lionel was Dantère’s polar opposite.
Unfazed by the Imperial Family’s watchful eyes, Lionel consistently topped his class, graduated early from the academy, and entered politics to expand his influence.
When necessary, he would wage territorial wars or even lead troops to invade foreign lands, much to the Emperor’s chagrin. He got everything he wanted.
Even the Crown Prince, Axion, tread carefully around Lionel.
Antagonizing Lionel brought no benefit, especially since his relentless pursuits often yielded substantial gains for the empire and his family.
In terms of political power, wealth, and military strength, Lionel had no weaknesses.
Even the Emperor and Crown Prince, whom Dantère feared deeply, handled Lionel with caution.
Perhaps it was petty jealousy or reckless audacity, but Dantère yearned to see Lionel falter, just once.
Vivian was his chosen weapon for this endeavor.
Fortunately, their shared history as academy peers provided a convenient connection.
Though Lionel ignored Dantère’s requests for visits, he didn’t go so far as to expel him when he arrived uninvited.
This gave Dantère free rein to roam the mansion.
Lionel, he assumed, simply didn’t deem him worth the effort.
Luckily, Lionel had been away from the estate for weeks, so Dantère had no trouble establishing a rapport with Vivian.
The overly naive young lady greeted him with unwavering smiles, seemingly unaware of his sordid reputation.
Perhaps she trusted him unconditionally because of his lie about being a close friend of her brother.
Sensing that his goal of tumbling into bed with her was close at hand, Dantère began winning over the people around her.
With no shortage of money, nothing posed a challenge.
Then one day, Lionel, the madman who had once again invaded foreign lands and annexed a worthless piece of territory returned to the capital.
This time, there were no gold mines, no ruins of significance.
The only thing he brought back as spoils of war was a healer priestess reputedly skilled in their craft.
‘So he cares about his half-sister after all.’
If not, why go to such lengths for someone who was merely a bit frail?
This realization fueled Dantère’s determination.
He decided that his first night with Vivian would take place in Lionel’s bed.
The thought of Lionel’s reaction—seeing the bed he treasured as a sanctuary for his beloved sister sullied by the trash he despised—made Dantère’s spirits soar.
After convincing the socially reserved Vivian to attend the upcoming imperial ball as his partner, Dantère went to inform Lionel.
Ignoring the butler’s suggestion to wait in the drawing room as Lionel had briefly gone to the annex, Dantère barged in unannounced.
“Lionel, there you are!”
And that was when he saw her—the healer priestess everyone had been whispering about.
“What’s this? She’s beautiful.”
Although clad in a black, ill-fitting priest’s robe that revealed little besides a small face, the priest’s features, devoid of any makeup, were delicately arranged and captivating.
Dantère could only imagine how stunning they would look once that unsightly robe was removed, adorned and dressed to perfection—perhaps even rivaling his mother, once hailed as the most beautiful woman in the empire.
No, that’s not the point. Why bother removing the robe?
The allure of the forbidden and the thrill of transgression were, after all, the finest accompaniments to any grand feast.
